Canon Frank Sheehan responds to claims

OVER recent days I have found myself the subject of claims in media reports about the trial of a former teacher.

iven my role as a provider of pastoral care, and the need to maintain the trust of the community whom I serve, I feel compelled to set the record straight.

In 1991, the father of a man who was a former student of the School contacted me. He spoke to me about concerns a former music teacher, Lindsay Hutchinson, had abused his son.

The father told me of another former student who, like his son, had also been assaulted by Hutchinson more than five years before. I will not name the father because in doing so I would identify his son who rightly deserves to have his privacy protected.

The father was, in effect, acting as an advocate for both his son and this other former student, seeking to have Lindsay Hutchinson prosecuted for his abhorrent behaviour.

I fully supported the efforts to expose Hutchinson, and the father asked me to meet with this second former student. I understood the specific purpose of my meeting with the young man was to provide pastoral care in the sure knowledge that others were acting to ensure the perpetrator was rightly brought to justice.

At the time, the young man was in his early 20s and I met with him at my home, rather than my office, specifically to protect his privacy. My wife was upstairs at the time. It is this man who has brought the case against Lindsay Hutchinson, which resulted in the convictions today.

During the meeting it was obvious that he was in great mental anguish and understandably, extremely angry about his treatment by Hutchinson.

My firm recollection is telling him first and foremost that I believed he was telling the truth and reassuring him that he had done the right thing in speaking out.

I was especially conscious of the need to offer a listening ear and do whatever I could to help this stricken young man regain his dignity and sense of worth.

We talked about the fact that, given the horrific nature of his ordeal, his mental recovery would take time and I anticipated the need to be available to provide ongoing support.

At no time did I ever say or infer that he should forget about what had occurred to him.

On the contrary, I noted that he had shown great courage in speaking out about his ordeal. The meeting ended with the young man thanking me for listening to him and we discussed talking again soon.

I had a phone number by which to set up another meeting but despite repeated attempts thereafter, I was unable to speak again to the young man.

Over the next two months, I made repeated attempts to call the number with no success. Attempts via other avenues also failed to draw any response.

Throughout this period, it was my understanding that the father of the other former student was in discussion with police so as to actively expose Lindsay Hutchinson for his disgraceful crimes. I was prepared to support the victim in any way.

That was all I heard of the matter until three years ago, when the police came to see me and asked for my assistance in their investigation of complaints made by this former student about Lindsay Hutchinson.

I provided every assistance possible to police and was willing to be called as a prosecution witness.

My heart goes out to the man at the centre of this terrible ordeal and any other former students who suffered. They rightly deserve our every support and sympathy.

I had hoped to be provided the opportunity to confirm my discussion with the victim in 1991 as a prosecution witness during the trial of Lindsay Hutchinson. Despite my willingness to appear, I was not called to give evidence.

My life over these past 28 years has been dedicated to the pastoral care of students and the wider community, and I am anxious to ensure that others will accept that I speak only out of a desire to protect the integrity of my role, in order to be allowed the privilege of continuing to serve.

The sexual abuse of vulnerable people by those in authority is something I abhor. I have never and will never hesitate to actively assist in providing support to victims in exposing such horrible crimes.

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